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Hi all, I am considering purchasing an LCD TV for my HTPC (and Foxtel HD when they FINALLY release it), and was looking for some expert opinion.
There are a few I am currently considering:
The first is a Hisense 40" (or 42, can't remember at this time of morning) 1080p display. This is a company I hadn't heard of, but both JB and The Good Guys were selling it, and it comes with a 3 year, next day replacement warranty (as in they come to your house with another TV). I'm not usually likely to go for a TV brand I've never heard of before, but I must say, looking at it, the picture quality seemed on par with the nearby name brands, if not better. What do you guys think? I bargained JB down to $1399 (that took like 5 seconds, so maybe they can go down further).
Another I am considering is the Samsung, at the moment either the M8 or the N8 (I wouldn't mind the F series at 100Hz, but prob out of my price range). These are also 1080p displays at either 40" or 42". These also looked pretty good. But I am no expert. These come with 3 year warranties also, but they are repair warranties. Retravision said 'a fair bit below $2000', and before $150 cashback.
All of the ones mentioned come with built in HD tuners (not that I care, will be using a HTPC with a Radeon 2600 Pro with built in HDMI for my FTA TV, and Foxtel via component, later HDMI for my PayTV)
I should probably point out that I am a major sports fan, and hence fast moving pictures hold sway over absolute clarity. Should I go plasma instead? Will that be cheaper or more expensive?
Hi all, I am considering purchasing an LCD TV for my HTPC (and Foxtel HD when they FINALLY release it), and was looking for some expert opinion.
There are a few I am currently considering:
The first is a Hisense 40" (or 42, can't remember at this time of morning) 1080p display. This is a company I hadn't heard of, but both JB and The Good Guys were selling it, and it comes with a 3 year, next day replacement warranty (as in they come to your house with another TV). I'm not usually likely to go for a TV brand I've never heard of before, but I must say, looking at it, the picture quality seemed on par with the nearby name brands, if not better. What do you guys think? I bargained JB down to $1399 (that took like 5 seconds, so maybe they can go down further).
Another I am considering is the Samsung, at the moment either the M8 or the N8 (I wouldn't mind the F series at 100Hz, but prob out of my price range). These are also 1080p displays at either 40" or 42". These also looked pretty good. But I am no expert. These come with 3 year warranties also, but they are repair warranties. Retravision said 'a fair bit below $2000', and before $150 cashback.
All of the ones mentioned come with built in HD tuners (not that I care, will be using a HTPC with a Radeon 2600 Pro with built in HDMI for my FTA TV, and Foxtel via component, later HDMI for my PayTV)
I should probably point out that I am a major sports fan, and hence fast moving pictures hold sway over absolute clarity. Should I go plasma instead? Will that be cheaper or more expensive?
Thanks in advance for any help.
I was looking at the Hisense today and while the price is quite nice on them (and the picture quality was actually quite good for the price). You need to take into acount whether they will have 1:1 pixel mapping (important for HTPC). The real stand outs were the Samsung and Sony panels. So I'd personally spend the extra dough and go with the Samsung. They have 1:1 pixel mapping, 3 year warranty and are a trusted brand.
Also if you're going to buy from a store, take a dvd of some high speed stuff and get them to play it so you can see how well it goes. If your going to plonk close to $2000 on something, you really want to know how good it is for you. And should not feel like you're wasting their time by testing it out.
My choice would be Sony or LG. Samsung have this highly reflective surface similar to plasma that is very distracting if you have any light sources (windows etc) in the room.
Thanks for the feedback guys. I actually purchased a couple of weeks ago, and ended up going with the Samsung. While the Highsense really impressed me with the picture quality at the price, I couldn't find it in stock (apart from display models), and am now glad I have the 1:1 pixel mapping. Shinyness is not a problem for me, it's only noticeable if there is a bright light on in the room, and I'm looking for it, and even then is nothing. The LG on the other hand, does not have a PQ on a par with Samsung and Sony (which was out of my pricerange) imo.
